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“Up Against It”: Post-Pandemic Life and Community Response 1918-1923
When thousands of Philadelphian families lost members in the October 1918 influenza wave, Philadelphian organizations, volunteers, college students, and even children pitched in to help survivors recuperate and rebuild their lives. Nevertheless, influenza left medical, economic, and social scars in neighborhoods around the city.
Join Dr. Bethany Johnson to hear about her recent Ph.D. research into the aftermath of the 1918 flu pandemic, research which drew heavily on Girard College student records, as well as those in other local repositories, including the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the College of Physicians, and many others.
In this talk, she will discuss the complex challenges facing the stricken families and the far-reaching efforts of institutions and organizations that changed their programs—and, in some cases, their politics—after seeing the suffering and the resilience of survivors firsthand